"Difficult" Pretending impresses

Just Pretending was friendless before the off in the Slane Fillies Maiden at Navan but ran out an impressive winner none-the-less.

The Ballydoyle filly opened up at 11/10 on course but was returned 7/4 as they jumped in the mile contest.

She tracked Cocktail Hour throughout before tackling the front-runner a furlong and a half out.

The daughter of Giant's Causeway soon hit the lead and quickened clear inside the final furlong to post a four-and-a-half length victory.

The winner had been a big eye-catcher at Dundalk last month when staying on late into third.

“She's a very difficult mare. Seamie (Heffernan) rode her the last day and said to try her in a hood and it seems to have helped her,” said Joseph O'Brien afterwards.

“He also said whatever you do don't hit her. She showed today that there is a bit of ability there and hopefully she can progress. She's a very well-bred filly.”

The winner is a half-sister to the Grade 3 winner in the US called The Leopard, who cost $2,500,000 as a two-year-old.

(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)